Opera Guides

Spotlight Guides are small, informative booklets that explore the basic musical, cultural, and political issues found in every opera. With a sly sense of humor, they summarize the story and pack an amazing amount of information into an easy-to-read, yet surprisingly comprehensive guide. Spotlight Guides are delivered to our high school program participants and to every Seattle Opera subscriber to help our patrons prepare themselves for a fulfilling night at the theater.

2014/15 Spotlight Guides

2013/14 Spotlight Guides

2012/13 Spotlight Guides

Turandot

Educational guide covering Puccini's Turandot. Meet the dramatic fairy-tale characters of Puccini's exotic swansong, as well as the elements that make Puccini's operas among the most beloved ever composed.This guide is also available in our official iPad app.

Fidelio

Cinderella (La Cenerentola)

Educational guide covering Rossini's La Cenerentola. We explore Rossini's career, the worlds of Italian comedy and bel canto opera that come together in La Cenerentola, and meet an array of Cinderellas from around the world.

La Bohème

Educational guide covering Puccini's La Bohème. The guide discusses how Puccini and his librettists transformed Murger's collection of stories about Bohemian life into the world's favorite opera, and inspects details of the incredible musical storytelling.

La Voix Humaine & Suor Angelica

Educational guides covering Poulenc's La voix humaine and Puccini's Suor Angelica. Explore these two brief operas, both coming to Seattle Opera for the first time, and get to know their stories and why they were written.

2011/12 Spotlight Guides

Porgy and Bess

Educational guide covering Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. The guide, available in both PDF and Kindle formats, introduces the characters of Catfish Row and explores the history behind this great American opera.

Attila

Educational guide covering Verdi's Attila. The guide discusses Verdi’s motivation behind this now-rarely-performed opera, which makes its Seattle premiere this season, and compares the title character to the real-life Attila the Hun.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Educational guide covering Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice. The guide explains Gluck’s impact on modern opera, the Orpheus myth, and what makes this Paris version different from the composer’s earlier Orfeo ed Euridice.

Madama Butterfly

Educational guide covering Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The guide discusses the strength of Puccini’s exciting and dramatic music, as well as the composer’s fascination with the exotic—everything from America’s Wild West to Asia’s pentatonic music.

2010/11 Interactive Spotlight Guides

The Magic Flute Spotlight Guide for Kindle is now available for free download. Connect your device via USB to transfer the file or email the file directly to your Kindle (Amazon delivery fees apply). For Kindle help visit Amazon Support.Download

Interactive educational guide covering Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. The guide includes musical examples from the opera, an introduction to Wagner’s use of motifs plus knowledgeable insight into this exciting work

Interactive educational guide covering Massenet’s Don Quichotte. The guide introduces the opera’s distinguished literary source as well as the subtle balance of words and music characteristic of French opera.